Homeowners in a New Albany neighborhood are taking to social media after their homeowners’ association asked them to remove signs from their yards. On Wednesday, the Hampsted Village HOA posted to Facebook asking residents to remove their Black Lives Matter signs by July 26 at 9 p.m. citing sign policy. Read the article……………………………..
Neighbor allegedly complains about healthcare heroes lawn sign; resident alleges family targeted (NJ)
The members of a family in Dayton believe they are being targeted because of a lawn sign they posted in front of their house. Michelle Lev said her mother contacted the development’s management company, Preferred Community Management Services, on July 10 about a leak in the roof. She said her mother was told a neighbor […]
Charlotte woman fighting HOA after being told to take down Black Lives Matter sign (NC)
A Charlotte woman is going head-to-head with her homeowner’s association after she says she was ordered to take down her ‘Black Lives Matter’ sign. The HOA says it’s against the rules, but she says she’s fighting for her freedom of speech. Read the article…………………………..
Broomfield family seeks to change HOA sign rules (CO)
Broomfield resident Bella Bates is questioning her HOA’s rules regarding yard signs after receiving a notice to take down her own. Bates was confused because she and other neighbors have seen graduation signs on the yards of several neighbors for weeks if not months. She did not expect to win an appeal hearing, held Monday […]
Westchase Community Association tells residents to take down graduation signs or face fines (FL)
You could call it a sign of the times: Proud parents are doing their best to make up for canceled graduation ceremonies with congratulatory signs………..But King’s sign was up all of two weeks before she received a letter in the mail from her homeowners association. “It read, ‘you currently are in violation of the association’s […]
Woke Grandpa Defies Miami Beach Condo Board (FL)
That led Abramson to ask his granddaughter, Arley Hunt, to help him write “Black Lives Matter” in chalk paint on the sliding glass door that leads to the balcony of his Mid Beach condo. It wasn’t long before neighbors confronted him and complained to management. Staff at his Collins Avenue building told him to remove […]
Black Lives Matter yard signs spark debate within Chapel Hill neighborhood as HOA looks to enforce display policies (NC)
Some residents of the Briar Chapel community in Chapel Hill are questioning the timing of their HOA’s enforcement of a yard sign policy. They say the policy has not been enforced until now and believe it has to do with “Black Lives Matter” signs that have been popping up around the neighborhood. Read the article……………………………..
Two women unhappy with complaint about black lives matter sign on home (KY)
Two single moms from Lexington said they only had their sign up for a couple of days before they were asked to take it down. Alyssa Derrick and Becca Wise say the director of the Homeowner’s Association of the neighborhood they rent in came directly to their house. Read the article……………………………..
Asbury Woods Homeowner’s Association to allow sign supporting McDowell graduating senior (PA)
It’s a happy ending for a story that JET 24 Action News brought you last night. McDowell High School senior Connor Williams placed a sign in his yard that read “Celebrating Our McDowell Senior 2020.” However, the Asbury Woods Homeowner’s Association told the Williams family that they must take the sign out of their front […]
Faith Over Fear Crosses: A local homeowner’s association is telling residents to take them down, and some are not too happy (GA)
“Faith Over Fear Crosses” are supposed to bring people joy during this pandemic. One Columbia County HOA is making residents take them down. “We don’t feel that anybody has the right, whether its a covenant or anything else to tell us we don’t have constitutional rights to have freedom of religion,” said Ken Johnson. Read […]
Mission Viejo Grads Replace Yard Signs, Buoyed By Support (CA)
Patch reached out to the Mirasol Homeowners Association, and to the Total Property Management Company that oversees them. On Thursday, the Executive Director of Total Property Management Company responded to Patch, saying that the yard signs had been returned, or were available to residents who identified and requested them. Read the article…………………………
Gold Star family fighting to honor fallen son this Memorial Day (AZ)
As Memorial Day approaches, one Gilbert family is in a battle with their Home Owner’s Association because of their attempt to honor their fallen son. Craig and Alma Smith lost their son, Donald Smith, in a military exercise in 2006. Donald Smith received full military honors and was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery. […]
Indianapolis family enraged after HOA says ‘hero’ yard signs must be removed (IN)
Two yard signs honoring front-line heroes are a point of pride for Damon and Tina Turnmire. Damon has worked with children with special needs at Damar Services for 16 years, while Tina has worked for more than a decade at Homeview Health in Franklin. Read the article……………………….
Yard Sign Saluting McDowell Senior Allowed to Stay Up (PA)
After Millcreek Township School District leaders delivered yard signs to salute all the McDowell seniors last month, the family of senior Conner Williams was told by their homeowners association (HOA) that it would cost them $100 per day to have the sign posted in their yard. The family contacted Erie News Now Friday morning […]
Signs in Wekiva Cove neighborhood mark area for residents only (FL)
A Seminole County Homeowners Association says it will not take down signs warning that, ‘In light of the current shelter-at-home orders, only residents are allowed in.’ A full day after the Seminole County Sheriff’s office said it would ask that the signs be taken down, they remain at the entrance to Wekiva Cove. Read […]
Grandmother says she was told to take down graduation yard sign (FL)
A graduation sign celebrating a local high school senior has caused quite the commotion in one Volusia County community. Barbara Novak said she put up the yard sign over the weekend to honor her granddaughter but said she quickly received a call from someone claiming to be with her homeowner’s association telling her it needed […]
Homeowners can display political signs with some conditions (NV)
Q: We need your expertise in a controversy within our homeowners association. It has to do with when residents are allowed to put up signs in regards to elections. Read the Q&A……………………………..
Suburban woman forced to remove ‘Stay Home, Save Lives’ sign over homeowners’ association rules (IL)
A homeowner in the southwest suburbs is angry after she was told her sign promoting social distancing isn’t allowed. Bette Borse put a “Stay Home, Save Lives” sign in front of her house in Willowbrook. She said a neighbor complained that it’s in violation of their homeowners’ association’s rules about signs. Read the article……………………………
How To Balance HOA Regulations With Holiday Decorations
The end of the year is a very fun time for residents within communities across the United States. Residents are inclined to make their homes look festive both inside and out. Where the holiday season can become complicated is deciding how to balance decorating the outside of homes within your community while still adhering to […]
‘Trump 2020’ sign staying up despite order to take it down, says Dublin woman (OH)
After receiving repeated directions to remove a “TRUMP 2020” sign from her yard, Ingrid Grass says the sign is staying right where it is, no matter the consequence. Last week, the homeowner’s association in Dublin’s Park Place neighborhood sent Grass a letter informing her that a yard sign was in violation of the HOA bylaws […]
There is no Such Thing as a Free Lunch – Or a Free Clubhouse: Implementing Reasonable Limitations on Political Speech and Assembly Rights in California HOA’s
We have just passed the two-year anniversary of California Civil Code 4515. This is the law that protects certain rights of members and residents to political speech and peaceful assembly within California community associations. With election season in full swing, it is important for Boards and management to be reminded that the rights afforded to […]
HOAs Cannot Prevent Political Signs, But They Can Regulate Them (TX)
Some Texas cities could have hosted four different elections, including the race for congressional seats and the Presidential election, by the end of the year. During any election, it isn’t abnormal to see residential neighborhoods lined with signs of each resident’s preferred candidate or ballot measure — some houses with dozens in their front yard. […]
Garner HOA says military mom’s ‘holiday lights’ supporting son must come down (NC)
Garner homeowner Nancy Turner has been in a back and forth with her HOA due to a string of lights hanging from her front porch. Turner said a recent email from Sentry Management essentially said: “You need to take your holiday lights down.” “Until he’s back home, we are going to support him,” replied Turner. […]
HOA wants Oro Valley man to take down flagpole (AZ)
About a year ago, Don Knetzger of Oro Valley, Ariz. strung up lights to his flagpole in his backyard so he could see his barbecue more easily at night. Knetzger told News 4 Tucson he recently got a letter in the mail from his homeowner’s association. Read the article………………………
How a Spring woman’s Facebook post got an HOA to re-evaluate its rules about signs (TX)
Sheila Rojas posted on Facebook when her HOA board members told her she could not have a sign in her yard remembering Harris Co. Sheriff’s Deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal. Read the article…………………………….
Ask a real estate pro: Can we put a candidate sign in front of our home? (FL)
Q: We want to put a lawn sign out in front of our home for our favorite candidate. Our homeowners association is saying no way. What about my First Amendment rights? Can they restrict this? Read the article………………………….
Misleading Destin logo on beach property sign painted over (FL)
Last Friday, a Destin Code Compliance Department officer posted a notice of violation on the condo property for having the misleading logo on a sign. Read the article………………………….
Homeowers are allowed to display political signs (NV)
Q: What does the law say about posting a political candidate’s signs? Can a homeowners association keep owners from posting a sign in their windows or planting a sign in their lawn? Read the Q&A…………………………
Political Signage/Activities (AZ)
In what will assuredly be a contentious election year, it is important for community associations to be knowledgeable and cognizant of relevant statutes regarding political signage/activities. ARS Sections 33-1261 (Condominiums) / 33-1808 (Planned Communities) severely limit a community association’s power to restrict/prohibit political activities, including: Read the article……………………….
After Holidays, A Nutcracker Crackdown At Lake Of The Pines (CA)
It’s a crackdown on giant statues outside a home at a Nevada County lakefront community. The Lake of the Pines homeowners association is preparing to crack down on 10-feet-tall nutcracker statues on display outside Dave Campbell’s home. He says his giant nutcracker dolls are his pride and joy. Read the article……………………….
Condo Smarts: Christmas tree issue calls for seasonal leaflet
Dear Tony: Our strata corporation has been having the “ban live-cut Christmas trees” debate for several years without much success. Every year, there is at least one owner or tenant who abandons their dead tree in the parking garage, or rams it down the garbage chute, or tosses it off their balcony into our landscaping, […]
Happy decorating: How community associations should regulate holiday lights and displays
Many homeowners likely have already gotten into the full spirit of the holidays and put up lights, decorations, and religious displays outside their home. If you live in a community association, you might be asking yourself: When do I have to take my decorations down? Do I have to turn my lights off every night? […]
Strata Alert: Christmastime for Strata Managers (QC)
Christmas is a stressful time for nearly everyone who marks the holiday. There is shopping to do, parties to attend, family gatherings to dread, traffic to rage at, and pounds to put on. There is also that magical time between Christmas and New Year’s when things slow down just a touch. Your phone rings a […]
Waxhaw HOA says ‘Christmas Vacation’ decorations need to go (NC)
A Waxhaw Christmas display has one homeowner’s association upset. They’re asking the homeowner to take down part of their Christmas display because it is considered “abnormal”. When you drive through the Millbridge Community in Waxhaw you’ll find typical Christmas decorations, then there is one home depicting two classic scenes from the movie National Lampoons Christmas […]
Deck The Halls: A Strata Council’s Survival Guide To Holiday Decorations (BC)
“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…”. Almost like clockwork, the day the advent calendar opens to December 1st is the day that Strata Councils across British Columbia open their mailboxes to a series of holiday-related questions. Can our bylaws prohibit live Christmas trees? Can our community restrict the timing of holiday lights? How […]
How to Write Holiday Decoration Guides for Community Associations
Holiday decorations are part of what makes the season so magical. Driving past houses that give the impression of gingerbread cottages and warm holiday cabins is a special sight. Of course, there are always a few houses that go overboard. When decorations become gaudy or distracting hazards, many HOAs feel inclined to draw the line. […]
3 Tips for Festive, but Manageable Holiday Decorations (IL)
While condominium, townhome, and homeowner association residents are free to decorate the interior of their home as they please, many associations have adopted formal decorating policies for association common elements (ex. hallways, patios, lobbies, and lawns). Read the article………………………….
Regulating Season’s Greetings in HOAs
How soon is too soon to decorate for the holidays? When do I have to take my decorations down? Do I have to turn my lights off every night? How many decorations are too many? These are some of the questions common in HOAs this time of year. Read the article……………………….
Virginia Community Installs Its Own Traffic Signs After Teen’s Death
A Virginia community is trying to make its streets safer after a teenager was struck and killed in a hit-and-run last December. The 16-year-old victim was crossing South Lakes Drive toward Castle Rock Square near the Bristol House Condos in Reston when he was hit by a car. Readthe article……………………….
The Holly Jolly HOA
From Halloween through the New Year, there are all sorts of opportunities to celebrate, decorate…and break every HOA rule in the book. But while you love the festivities as much as anyone else, you still have community standards to maintain. All too often, adherence to HOA holiday decoration rules and such can put a damper […]
Simple Holiday Decoration Guidelines in an HOA Community
Homeowners typically love to show their holiday spirit; so, limiting holiday decorations is not a viable option for any board. Instead, focus on how to encourage your community to celebrate the holiday season in a tasteful and reasonable way. Read the article………………………
How the homeowners Association stole Christmas as legal threat looms over display (MI)
No one is a bigger fan of the annual dancing light show in Auburn Hills than the people at The Rainbow Connection charity. That’s because each year donations gathered at the light show are enough to make two wishes come true. Read the article……………………….
‘Nightmare before Christmas’ display faces HOA scrunity in south Tempe (AZ)
A south Tempe homeowner’s elaborate “Nightmare before Christmas” display has come under fire by his neighborhood association following concerns about traffic and safety. Read the article…………………………..
Holiday decorating in the Community Association … Is it a decoration, religious symbol or a religious display? (PA)
Here come the holidays, and here come the decorations. But not every decoration is only a decoration … some decorations are just decorations but other things can be considered religious displays or religious symbols, which means that the things that owners put out can mean different things to different people. Also, some things are not […]
How Early Is Too Early to Put Up Holiday Decorations?
A Texas couple thought Nov. 1 was as good a time as any for a giant snowman in their front yard. The homeowners’ association poured hot water on the idea. Read the article…………………….
Neighbor at East Naples community told to take Christmas lights down (FL)
We looked into whether a Grinch was stealing a neighbor’s Christmas in Collier County. She says the lights she has up on her home for the holidays make her happy. But her landlord said they have to go. Read the article………………………..
Camera captures heated argument over removal of political flag from home (PA)
Video shows a heated argument over the removal of a political garden banner flag in Greensburg. Police responded to the home on Triple Crown Circle where Bob Noviello lives. The debate was whether the flag should have been taken away by the South Meadow Lindwood Condominium Association. Read the article………………………….
Too Soon? Festive family told to take down Christmas decorations (TX)
How soon is too soon to start putting up Christmas decorations? A battle over a snowman in one Northside neighborhood is putting that question to the test. Read the article…………………………
Boards need to define the terms “seasonal decorations” and “holiday” (IL)
Q: The rules for our association permit residents to display “seasonal decorations” on their balconies and patios for a certain period of time before and after a “holiday.” However, these terms are not defined in the rules, and there is some debate among the board as to what this all means. Can you provide any […]
Controversy brews over Trump flag in NKY community (KY)
A Northern Kentucky homeowner, proudly displaying a Trump flag on his property, says his neighborhood is trying to silence him. The flag hangs from his front porch and after receiving complaints his homeowner’s association is considering making him take it down. Read the article………………………..